A spectrometer is generally any device that produces a spectrum by the dispersion of light and is calibrated to measure transmitted energy or radiant intensities with respect to wavelengths of radiation. Said in a different way, a spectrometer is a photometer for measuring the relative intensities of light in different parts of a spectrum.
Spectrometers are used in numerous different industries. Examples of such industries include the automotive industry, for identifying certain paint or pigment compositions, thereby making possible the application of a matching paint; the textile industry, for ensuring the consistency of color from one dye lot to the next; and the cosmetic industry, for identifying the facial properties of a consumer, thereby allowing the identification of cosmetics which will enhance these facial properties.
Spectrometers utilized for these and other purposes typically utilize a diffraction grating which may be either curved or flat, to disperse the light into a spectrum. The diffracted light intensity at each wavelength is then measured by a suitable detector, such as a photodiode detector array or a photomultiplier tube.
While current spectrometers are effective in analyzing the optical properties of certain samples, they are generally costly, bulky, and heavy. Therefore, there is a need in